Mixing additives into polymers properties, effect

Hou (1993) reported that for a petroleum sulfonate-HPAM-mixed alcohol (isopropanol isobutanol = 8 1) system, the addition of polymer did not change the three types of phase behavior, but the upper phase and lower phase volumes were increased very slightly and the middle phase volume was decreased accordingly. This volume changes were caused by the interaction of the alcohol with HPAM. HPAM brought some of alcohol from the middle phase into the aqueous phase, resulting in the decrease in the middle phase volume. As polymer concentration was increased, the aqueous phase viscosity was increased while the middle phase viscosity remained almost unchanged because very little polymer would go to the middle phase. Therefore, HPAM had little effect on the middle phase properties. 

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